How to Use an Air Fryer
Wondering how to use your new air fryer? In this beginner’s guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started using this versatile kitchen appliance. How to use an air fryer, what you can cook in an air fryer, safety precautions, how to preheat an air fryer, reheating food in the air fryer, how to clean your air fryer, and the best air fryer recipes for beginners.
I held off on getting an air fryer for quite a while. Honestly, I wasn’t sure that I needed another kitchen appliance, given how much I love and use my Instant Pot and slow cooker. But then I finally made the leap into air fryer cooking, and I’m so glad I did!
An air fryer can help you to get quick, healthy, delicious meals on your table. It has the amazing power to make foods extra crispy while using very little oil. Proteins cook up especially tender and juicy. And when it’s hot outside, using an air fryer instead of your oven allows you to cook without heating up your kitchen.
What Can You Cook in an Air Fryer
You can cook just about anything in an air fryer! Proteins like chicken, fish or pork, healthy vegetable side dishes, appetizers such as zucchini fries or chicken wings, and even desserts and baked goods. For some cooking inspiration, see my collection of my best air fryer recipes.
The air fryer is especially suited for cooking foods that you want extra crispy or crunchy, such as French fries, fried chicken and baked potatoes with crispy skins. It’s also one of my favorite ways to cook meats such as steak or chicken, since they always turn out juicy and flavorful.
Jump to my Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
What is an Air Fryer
An air fryer is a versatile kitchen appliance that can air fry, roast, bake, broil, crisp, dehydrate and reheat foods. It’s easy to use, and once you get the hang of it you’ll be hooked on air frying!
There are two main types of air fryers: basket air fryers and air fryer ovens. Basket air fryers have a removable basket in which you put food. Air fryer ovens look similar to a toaster oven and have racks inside on which you put food. Air fryer ovens have more cooking functions and more room for food inside, but they also take up more space in your kitchen. Both types of air fryers work in a similar way.
How Does an Air Fryer Work
An air fryer has a heating element that radiates heat and a fan that circulates hot air around the food in the air fryer basket. The hot air circulation allows you to use significantly less oil than you might in the oven, while still getting the crispy foods that you crave. I also find that food browns nicely, giving you delicious flavor, especially on the caramelized edges.
Air Fryer Safety
It is important to read and follow all of the safety precautions that are included in your air fryer’s manual. Here are a few tips for how to safely use your air fryer:
- An air fryer is designed for air frying, not traditional oil frying, and you should never fill the basket with oil.
- Always cook in a well-ventilated area. Leave plenty of space around the air fryer for the exhaust to ventilate. Do not put it close to a wall.
- With some foods, such as bacon, you have to be aware of the smoke point of the fat that you are cooking. It’s best to cook bacon at a temperature lower than the smoke point of bacon grease, to prevent the bacon from smoking or burning. I cook Air Fryer Bacon at 350° F.
- Be aware of the smoke point of the cooking oils that you use. It may be best to avoid using oils with low smoke points, or to use a lower cooking temperature. You do not want oils to smoke, burn or splatter on the heating element.
- Protect your hands and countertops from the hot air fryer basket after use. I usually set the hot basket on a silicone trivet or pot holder/hot pad when I take it out of the air fryer.
- Unplug the air fryer when it is not in use.
- Never set your air fryer on the stove.
Best Air Fryer
There are so many air fryers on the market, it can be hard to know which air fryer is best for you. Popular air fryers include:
- Ninja Air Fryer
- Power XL Air Fryer
- Ninja Foodie Air Fryer
- Instant Pot Air Fryer
- Cosori Air Fryer
- Cuisinart Air Fryer
- Gourmia Air Fryer
- Nuwave Air Fryer
- Emeril Lagasse Air Fryer
- Walmart Air Fryer
How to Use an Air Fryer
- Don’t overcrowd the basket. To get foods crispy and promote even cooking, food should always be in a single layer in the air fryer basket, not stacked or layered. You can cook in batches as needed.
- It’s ok to pull the basket out to check on the progress of your food during the cooking cycle.
- Choose the right temperature. A general rule of thumb when determining the temperature to set your air fryer is to lower the temperature by 25 degrees from the temperature that you would use if cooking in an oven. Your air fryer manual likely includes recommended temperatures for different foods, or follow recipes from trusted sources. Below I’ve linked to many of my favorite tried-and-true tested air fryer recipes.
- Shake or flip part way through to cook evenly. When cooking food in small pieces, such as Brussels sprouts or French fries, give the basket a good shake about half way through the cook time to promote even cooking and browning. When cooking meat such as pork chops or chicken, flip the pieces over about half way through.
- Dry foods well to get them crispy. Moisture is the enemy of crispiness. Before adding oil, seasonings or placing food in the air fryer basket, pat food dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Air frying presets. Most air fryers have a number of preset programs with cook times and temperatures for common foods. I usually use the manual air fry function, rather than the presets, so that I can set the cook time and temperature myself.
How to Preheat Air Fryer
Do you have to preheat your air fryer before cooking? It depends. Most air fryer instruction manuals state to preheat the air fryer before placing food inside it. Preheating can help food to cook properly, similar to how you preheat an oven before placing food inside. If you don’t preheat the air fryer, it may take a few minutes longer to cook and/or food may not brown as well.
With that being said, sometimes I don’t preheat my air fryer. When cooking foods that brown quickly on the edges but take longer to become tender in the center, such as broccoli or Brussels sprouts, I start cooking in a cold air fryer to keep them from burning on the edges before the centers cook through.
How to Reheat in an Air Fryer
Using your air fryer is a great way to reheat foods and crisp them back up. It usually takes only a few minutes to reheat foods in an air fryer. A guideline when reheating is to use a temperature that is about 30 degrees lower than the temperature at which you would air fry to cook the food.
- To reheat pizza in an air fryer: Preheat air fryer to 350° F for 5 minutes, or according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add pizza slices and air fry at 350° F for 3-6 minutes, or until heated through. Be sure to place the pizza in a single layer in the air fryer, so that the slices are not overlapping. Thicker crust will take longer to heat through than thin crust pizza.
- To reheat fries in an air fryer: air fry at 350° F for 3-5 minutes, or until hot and crispy. Shake the basket after 2 minutes of air frying time. For the crispiest fries, it is best to air fry only a single layer of fries at a time.
How to Clean Your Air Fryer
Most air fryers have a nonstick coating that helps to make clean up easy.
- How to clean the air fryer basket. Most basket-style air fryers have an inner and outer basket that can be taken apart for washing. You can wash the basket in warm, soapy water. Be sure to use a non-abrasive cloth or sponge so as not to damage the nonstick coating.
- You can check your instruction manual to see if the baskets for your model of air fryer are dishwasher safe. However, I recommend hand washing because the parts should wash up easily and it may make them last longer.
- For the easiest clean up, rinse the basket right after cooking.
- The removable parts of an oven-style air fryer can be cleaned in a similar way, with warm soapy water or in the dishwasher.
- If the surface of the air fryer base unit gets dirty, wipe it clean with a soft, damp cloth.
- Can you put foil in an air fryer to make clean up easier? Yes, you can put aluminum foil or parchment paper in the air fryer. You can buy sheets of perforated parchment paper designed for air fryer use. The holes allow air to flow through when cooking. Never run your air fryer with parchment paper or foil in it without food on top of the paper/foil, or the paper may lift up and touch the heating element.
Air Fryer Recipes for Beginners
Now it’s time to get cooking! To get you started, here are some of my family’s favorite air fryer recipes. Click through the links below for recipes for how to cook chicken, bacon, salmon, pork and more in your air fryer.
- Air Fryer Chicken Wings are a favorite game day snack.
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast is one of my very favorite ways to cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It’s so easy and turns out perfect every time.
- Air Fryer Pork Chops are tender, juicy and flavorful.
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts with garlic and Parmesan are the best crispy Brussels sprouts!
- Air Fryer French Fries are so simple to make and irresistibly crispy!
- Air Fryer Bacon is extra crispy and so easy to make.
- Air Fryer Baked Potato: perfectly fluffy inside with the crispiest skin.
- Air Fryer Salmon is tender and flaky inside with a delicious caramelized crust made from the best seasonings.
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders are a crispy family favorite!
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs turn out perfectly juicy every time.
- Air Fryer Potatoes are a versatile, easy side dish. Just like roasted potatoes, but made in your air fryer!
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries are my favorite way to make sweet potato fries. Healthy and so delicious!
- Air Fryer Steak cooks quickly to tender, juicy perfection.
- Air Fryer Fried Chicken is my healthier take on fried chicken. It’s so crispy and perfectly seasoned.
- Air Fryer Shrimp is perfect for enjoying as an appetizer or serving with pasta or rice.
- More Best Air Fryer Recipes!
If you have questions about how to use an air fryer that were not answered in this air fryer beginner’s guide, leave them in the comments below.
Hi I recently purchased an air fryer oven. When I use air fry do I use both the mesh rack and tray together as I need something for meat greases to fall into. Unsure how to use trays.
Hi Linda,
Check the manual for your model but commonly you use the mesh rack and tray together to air fry. The mesh rack allows air to circulate around and under the food and the tray is used as a drip pan when air frying.
Kristine,
I Follow All if your Emails / Recipes and Meal plans as Close as I can.
My Husband and I are Empty Nesters- and He Just Got me a Ninja Foodi XL Pro Air Oven / Air Fryer-
This thing seriously has 6 Shelves and the big Basket at the Bottom. My Question is – I received ” Your Favorite Air Fryer Foods” – However, As a BEGINNER, Do you happen to Have a Weekly Meal Plan for a Machine such as Mine… It would be Super AMAZING-
I GET LOST Spending Wayyy to much money at the Grocery and prices are getting worse and worse.. and I’m wanting to Cook Better and Healthier.
Super Super Appreciate Any Help…
These Machines are Getting More popular by the day.
Blessings to You,
Loving English Mastiffs
Will talapia cook like salmon?
You can cook Tilapia in the Air Fryer. It will cook a little faster than salmon so check it earlier with your instant-read thermometer until it reaches 145 degrees F in the center.
Just what I needed to get me to dust off my air fryer. Recipes sound wonderful and easy. Thanks
I just wanted to express my appreciation for your site and I am so happy I joined up to receive your e-mails and recipes! I am purchasing an airfryer (Kaloric 21 qt) and I received your helpful guideline on air fryers today. Never used one but because with the hectic lifestyle we live, I work nights, hubby works from home and our son is involved in sports, there’s never enough time to cook a proper meal. I think this machine will cut my time a lot in preparing and cooking and having your insights alongside, I can’t miss!
Thank you so very much for doing what you do and sharing it with others! Blessings to you and your family!
Hi Kristine,
Well we finally bought our air fryer – The Maxx Kaloric 24.6qt air fryer.
So far it’s not too bad, but I haven’t really cooked anything. I mainly bought it for cooking fast meals, frozen food etc. No where in the manual does it give a time or how to cook frozen hamburger patties. Can you do that in an air fryer?
I tried out the chicken burgers today, not too bad, but dry on the inside. I think I may have cooked too long. I followed the instructions to cook at 425 for 30 min, but I had the tray in the fast cook for air fryer and maybe I should of adjusted the temp. It is going to a trial and error for a little while though, until I master it!
Thanks for any suggestions….
Hi Brenda,
I do think you cooked the frozen chicken patties too long. I would have checked them around 8-10 minutes and added more time if very thick or still not to temperature in the center.
Hi Kristine.
My husband just bought me an air fryer for my birthday. We’re just wondering – can we use it to toast bread?
We love all you Insta pot recipes and the others too!
Thanks so much!
Barb
Sure, you can. I’d try a few minutes per side at 360 degrees. It will likely take longer than using a toaster.
I am really interested to see your recipes as I haven’t yet used my new airfryer.
I heard you can bake a cake in the air fryer. Do you use a regular cake pan, or would that ruin the original pan.
Yes, you can. I do not have an air fryer cake recipe, but you can search for one online. I do not see any reason why it would ruin a cake pan.
Can I put plastic bowls in my air fryer like I do with microwave???
No, you cannot put plastic in an air fryer. An air fryer is similar to an oven, so if you cannot put it in an oven you shouldn’t put it in the air fryer.
How much oil is used when frying?
Do I flour the chicken before putting it in the fryer?
Hi Terri,
You do not add oil to an Air Fryer, it cooks by circulating the hot air. If you are looking for a chicken recipe try my Air Fryer Fried Chicken. You can find all of my Air Fryer recipes here.
Hi. I just bought the air fryer you suggested and was wondering how to fry the chicken and then cook broccoli. Do I have to cook the chicken first and then clean the basket before I cook the broccoli? If I’m cooking for a few people, there would not be room to cook them together. If I have to wash the basket after the chicken, the chicken would be cold before the broccoli is done? I’m confused about cooking two different things if I don’t want them combined.
Hi Debbie, What I usually do is cook either our protein or vegetable in the air fryer, and then prepare the other in another way (stove, oven, grill, etc.). If I really wanted to use the air fryer for both, I’d probably first cook the vegetable, then cook the chicken, and then pop the veggies back into the air fryer for 2 minutes or so to warm back up while the chicken rests. (If you want to do a quick wipe of the basket after adding the chicken, you could, but it might not be necessary.) I hope that helps!
How do you dehydrate foods in the air fryer? For example slices of tomato or herbs?
Hi Karen,
Dehydrators typically use a a temperature of 150F or less and many air fryers do not have a temperature setting that low. You should check the manual for your specific air fryer regarding temperatures and look up a time table for any foods you want to try.
I have heard that you can’t put an air fryer on your countertop (mine is granite) that it will crack it. Any suggestions as to what I can use.
Love these recipes, just got an air fryer for Christmas and I can’t wait to use it but with concerns.
Help me.
Hi Sharon,
I use my air fryer all the time on my granite counter top. I put down a trivet for the basket when I pull it out as that can be hot and doesn’t have any feet on it.
Hi, I’ve read all the questions and answers and they are really helpful, thanks. We have an all gas oven & cooktop in our kitchen. With somewhat limited countertop space. I want to reduce our use of Natural gas for health and environmental reasons. But I will have to convince my spouse to sacrifice counter space. We usually cook a meal for 2-3 people. Not knowing very much about air fryers – can we find a somewhat smaller yet good one? Of course a big question is if we were to purchase a fryer/oven combo type how much space would that take up and would it really be able to replace our gas oven for most of our 2-3 serving size meals?
Any insights would be so appreciated!
Even smaller air fryers do take up a fair amount of space. I store mine in a cupboard when we are not using it. You could do some research, looking at the dimensions of well-rated air fryers to see if they will fit in your space. Good luck!
Does the trivet that came with my air fryer need to be used every time? I bought some silpat four sided things (they look like 8×8 brownie pans) to use in the basket. They don’t have holes in them. Should I make holes?
Hi Jan,
The food needs to be elevated off of the bottom of the basket so air can circulate under. Check the manual for your model, it may be optional.
Thanks for this non complicated intro to the air fryer. I received one as a gift and it’s just been sitting on the counter waiting for me to dive in the instruction booklet. This was much simpler. Can’t wait to try both your sprouts recipe and salmon 🙂
Where do I find an instruction book on how to turn it on and everything I did not get a book in my box
Your air fryer should have come with an instruction book. I would reach out to customer support with the company that you purchased from.
Thank you for the information,it is quite very useful.
Looking forward to HELP since I am first time owner of an air fryer 😋
I like your education on how to use appliances like the one above
Some of the guides say to use certain amounts of water. How do you know whether to use it or not?
I recommend reading your air fryer instruction manual as a guide on this. The only time I add a little bit of water to the bottom of the air fryer is when cooking air fryer broccoli. The water helps to steam cook the broccoli while it air fries, so you get tender broccoli with crispy edges. Some people also add a bit of water when cooking air fryer bacon to prevent smoking, but I don’t find it to be necessary.
I recently bought a emtronics duel air fryer unfortunately there was no booklet in the box on how to use it , i can switch it on and thats as much as i know to do ,can you advise me please.
Can I use the air fryer to heat food such as Rice, yam, porridge and the rest ?? Thanks
Hi Winifred,
While you can use the Air Fryer to reheat some foods it would not be ideal for ones you have suggested. Leftover rice is already dried out and the dry heat of the air fryer would not be good method to reheat it. Additionally, the rice grains might blow around from the fan. Similarly foods with a lot of liquid like porridge would fall though the basket and/or splash onto the heating element and should not be heated in an air fryer.
Hi, if the air fryer is connected to the electric power, how long what sign should you wait for before putting in your potatoes or whatever you want to fry
Hi Jamie,
It varies between air fryer brands and models, so you should consult the manual that came with your air fryer for specific instructions. Some air fryers preheat automatically when you set an air fry cook time and temperature and then tell you to add the food once the preheating is done. Others have a separate preheat function that you can use, then after preheating you can set the air frying cook time and temperature.
Does everything i cook in an air fryer have to be fresh and not frozen? I am going to use it for the first time tonight and am terrified. I am 75 so i bought thr Tyson frozen tenders and they are already breaded. Can i still use them?
You can cook frozen foods in an air fryer. Some frozen packaged foods (such as some brands of frozen French fries) even have air fryer instructions on them. Just make sure to air fry frozen food long enough that it gets hot inside/reaches a safe internal temperature. Don’t be nervous, using an air fryer is very easy!
I have ceramic tile counters and was wondering about using my Air fryer in them?
In my experience, the air fryer base unit does not get hot on the bottom. If you are going to set the air fryer basket on your counter after air frying, I would always recommend setting it on a trivet or similar to protect your countertops.
My Gourmia air fryer says to wash the air fryer after each use. Does that mean if I make a batch of frozen French fries, I have to clean out the entire thing before making the next batch?
Hi John,
If you are cooking multiple batches in one sitting, you do not have to clean the air fryer in between batches. When you’re done cooking, all you need to wash is the basket. It’s really easy to clean.
I received my Air frier but there were no instructions do you have a book? Mine has micro and confection included. Can’t figure what buttons to use.
Hi Gayle,
You might reach out to the manufacturer of your air fryer for an instruction book, or perhaps you can find an online version by googling the brand/model of your air fryer and instructions or manual. Good luck!
I have an air fryer which has two front opening doors and you can select how to use ie: air fry, steak, bacon, chicken, roast, oven, bake etc What should I put the setting on as I am confused. I tried to do a pork belly. So I used the pork setting, not cooked enough. I tried using the roast but didn’t turn out right . Should I of just used the air fry button? What do I use please help.
Hi Chris,
I always set the time and temperature manually using the air fry button. I’d recommend following recipes from trusted sources, they will most always include a cooking temperature and time that you can set using the air fryer setting. You can find all of my air fryer recipes here. Good luck!
I am just learning to use mine.
how about the oven type air fryer? it does not have the basket.